Business Insight Week 2015 Review

During the PwC Business Insight week I had the opportunity to shadow employees in the Tax service line. I was able to watch and ask questions about the work that all staff were doing and was trained on using some software so I could complete actual work for the team and clients.

I have learned entirely new job specific skills, utilising new software and understanding the processes that PwC follows to complete tax returns and assess tax liabilities of clients. I learned about specific tax rules companies must follow and also about how tax accounting differs from the regular work of the department.

The thing I have got most out of was being able to discuss with the staff about their own experiences and career pathways. All of the team at my office (Birmingham) made my week a great one and it was a great experience. Being on the programme at the same time as the other students meant we could meet up and talk during the week and gave you other people you could meet and relate with.

PwC went to great lengths to make us feel part of the company as such for the week, and everything was organised for us including a laptop, company email address/account and passes and badges. The student recruitment team provide really helpful advice on careers at the company and seem transparent about recruitment processes. I was left with a great impression of PwC and it is the type of company I would aspire to work at.

The programme was well organised and was structured each day, so I knew I was guaranteed chances to meet with employees at different grades/levels within the department, which was definitely one of the highlights. There was a group induction at the start of the programme and a team project on the final day.

All of the necessary training and support was provided by the teams at the site offices, and if we had any questions we knew we could contact our designated buddy, the student recruitment team or others in the office.

PwC provided support all the way through the week, with a thorough induction day to start off with which provided a great introduction to the business and the different service lines within. Throughout the week there were Webinars that we were allocated time to check in on and watch and interact with.

The work experience placement was well paid and met all costs incurred during the time of the placement. Reasonable travel expenses were met for travel to offices other than our base office.

Within the scope of my placement there wasn't any, however the individual offices do plan social events. Some others on the Business Insight Week had the chance to go out for lunch or play mini golf etc informally after work although I guess this is dependent on the department and buddy you are assigned.

Yes

The programme was a fantastic and rare opportunity to see inside a leading professional services firm, and PwC went to great efforts to make us feel valued and ensure we got a lot out of the week.

Follow the advice given by the PwC Careers sites and prepare for the style of interview that is used. Make sure you can explain why you want to be a part of the programme you apply to.